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Daily Brew: March 8, 2019

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March 8, 2019

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Today's Brew highlights the history of citizen-initiated veto referendums + the latest news on a redistricting measure in Virginia  
The Daily Brew

Welcome to the Friday, March 8 Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. The history of veto referendums
  2. Redistricting Commission Amendment passes Virginia legislature in 2019; Approval by the 2020 legislature puts it on November 2020 ballot
  3. Two more presidential contenders are in, four top Democrats are out

The history of veto referendums

As a reader of the Brew, you probably know that there are different types of ballot measures. One of them, which exists in 23 states, is the veto referendum.

A veto referendum, also known as a popular referendum, people's veto, or citizen's veto, is a type of citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal a law passed by the state legislature. There are 23 states that have a process for veto referendums. In 21 of those states, citizen signature petitions can be used both to propose new laws as well as challenge laws passed by the legislature. In two states, Maryland and New Mexico, veto referendums are the only kind of citizen-initiated measure allowed at the statewide level, and thus can only be used to repeal laws passed by the legislature.

  • Between 1906 and 2018, 521 veto referendums appeared on the ballot in the 23 states that allow them. Voters repealed 340 (65.3 percent) of the targeted laws and upheld 181 (34.7 percent) of them.
     
  • During this period, the states with the most veto referendums were North Dakota (75), Oregon (68), and California (48). The states that allowed for veto referendums but had the fewest number of them were Wyoming (1), Nevada (2), and New Mexico (3).
     
  • Utah is the only state where voters have repealed every law put before them through the veto referendum process. Utah has had a total of four veto referendums, with the most recent being in 2007 when voters rejected a school voucher program.

Veto referendum petition efforts have been proposed for the 2019 ballot in Colorado and Washington. In Washington, a veto referendum petition was filed targeting the repeal of legislation increasing the salaries of state elected officials. In Colorado, a veto referendum petition was filed targeting legislation designed to enter into an agreement to elect the president through a National Popular Vote (NPV). Washington has had 37 veto referendums, with the most recent in 2012. In Colorado, there have been 13 veto referendums, with the most recent one in 1932.

For the 2020 ballot, there is one veto referendum certified to appear before voters so far: the California Replace Cash Bail with Risk Assessments Veto Referendum. California voters have decided 48 total veto referendums since the state established the initiative and referendum process in 1911. Of the 48, voters upheld the targeted law in 20 and repealed it in 28. The first California veto referendum was in 1912, and the most recent was in 2016 when voters upheld legislation banning certain plastic bags.

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Redistricting Commission Amendment passes Virginia legislature in 2019; Approval by the 2020 legislature puts it on November 2020 ballot

An amendment which would create an independent redistricting commission to establish congressional and state legislative districts in Virginia was approved by that state’s legislature on February 23, 2019. If the measure is passed again by the legislature during the 2020 session, it will appear on the ballot on November 3, 2020, for voter approval or rejection.

The proposal, known as the Virginia Independent Redistricting Commission Amendment, would create a 16-member redistricting commission responsible for establishing Virginia's U.S. House of Representatives districts and House and Senate districts of the Virginia General Assembly. The bi-partisan commission would be composed of eight state legislators and eight citizen members.

The final version of the measure was approved by the state Senate by a vote of 39-1 and the House of Delegates by a vote of 86-13. Seventy of 72 Republicans voted to approve the amendment, as did 55 of 68 Democrats.

Currently, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are set by the Virginia General Assembly, subject to veto by the governor.

Independent redistricting commissions exist in six states – Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington.

In 2018, voters decided six ballot measures in five states designed to change how congressional districts, state legislative districts, or both, are drawn following the decennial U.S. Census. As of 2018, six was the highest number of redistricting-related ballot measures in a single year since 1982, when nine measures were on the ballot.

Redistricting measures targeting the 2020 ballot have also been filed in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oregon.

Two more presidential contenders are in, four top Democrats are out

There are 86 weeks to go until the next presidential election on November 3, 2020, and there’s been a handful of candidate announcements this week. If you aren’t subscribed to our daily presidential briefing, here’s a quick summary to catch you up on the latest news.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) entered the race last Friday, calling himself “the only candidate who will make defeating climate change our nation's number one priority.” And on Monday, John Hickenlooper (D), the former governor of Colorado, also announced that he was running for president.

While they are still on the sidelines, former Vice President Joe Biden (D), possible independent candidate Howard Schultz, and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) have been rumored to be looking to expand their teams.

Biden reportedly hired Cristóbal Alex, the president of the Latino Victory Fund, for an undisclosed role. Schultz brought on three veteran Republican staffers: former Steve Stivers aides Brendon DelToro and Matt LoParco and consultant Greg Strimple. Although no job offers have been reported, O’Rourke has also reportedly been interviewing candidates to be his campaign manager.

There were also prominent names that ruled out a presidential run this week. They include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D), former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D), and Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

Compared to the 2016 presidential cycle, Democrats in 2020 are on track to match, if not exceed, the number of Republican candidates who ran four years ago.

Stay in the know about all the important news about the 2020 presidential election with our Daily Presidential News Briefing. It provides updates on candidates' commentary on issues and policy positions, super PAC activity, campaign staff hiring, and more. Click the link below to subscribe.


See also

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